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Don't get me wrong, I'm all for best practices when it comes to marketing. But, I'm not going to be SHOUTING my ethics to prospective clients, etc.
So many are now focusing on that term that it has now become diluted. There are no official rules of conduct for our specific industry. There are guidelines, protocols, etc. But, there have yet to be an official set of rules to follow. Its pretty much open season, many just do what works.
Personally I think the term "Ethical SEO" is washed up. Just like search engine submissions, its deprecated. These days if I see that damn word in a page title or headline, I cringe. I view a few more pages and cringe even more. And to think that these sites SHOUT Ethical SEO...
Here are some of the new SEO Taglines for 2007...
An Ethical SEO Firm
We are an Ethical SEO Company
Ethical SEO at its Best
We Produce Ethical SEO
Ethical SEO for Your Website
Ethical Marketing for Your Business
Ethics
The science of human duty; the body of rules of duty drawn from this science; a particular system of principles and rules concerning duty, whether true or false; rules of practice in respect to a single class of human actions; as, political or social ethics; medical ethics.
Emphasis mine.
Response from a Search Engine Marketing Ethics Advocate
My first impression of your rant was wrong. I thought that maybe you were trying to get a forum post to position for Ethical SEO keyphrases. Seemed too unaturally syntaxed. Then I realized the futility of such an effort.
After looking through some of your web site I now can see how you obviously have much confusion in your mind. Of those that are relevant, you mistake link strategists as being the same as search engine optimizer.s These are two different types of professionals altogether.
It also seems to me that you should have legitimate fears of the growing and perhaps unstoppable movement that is actively advocating search engine marketing ethics. Especially the real, real loudmouths like me.
Personally, as a search engine optimizer, I actively engage the SEO circles in ethics debates. It causes for me to be perpetually in written battle with hoards of frightened search engine marketers, Internet marketing specialists of all kinds, people like you.
I take my fight much further though. I make my voice known directly to the search engines themselves, reminding them regularly of the need for them to adamantly enforce the penalties for breaking the rules, the rules that they themselves have established.
It also seems to me that you should have legitimate fears of the growing and perhaps unstoppable movement that is actively advocating search engine marketing ethics.
Might want to re-read the original post. The OP explicitly states:
I'm all for best practices when it comes to marketing.
The problem about ethics is anyone can say they are ethical. Absent any consensus of who should define what Ethical SEO is, much less actually arriving at an actual definition, the phrase Ethical SEO is meaningless. A BBB seal of approval has far more authority than someone slapping the phrase Ethical SEO onto their marketing material.
The phrase Ethical SEO is the ultimate weenie cop out, like wrapping oneself in a flag for political effect. I find it shallow to seize on the Ethical SEO phrase as a key marketing point. Adhering to best practices is only the starting point. Best practices is like putting one foot out the door, but it isn't the whole journey. I think that's the key point.
The Internet search engines have created avenues for innumerable new ways of getting people ripped off.
The common misunderstanding about what SEO entails revolves around the gathering of links. Most of these tales originate from the search sources themselves.
It is not enough to just preach the value of simply following the search engine guidelines as an effective way to attain top search engine ranking performances in competitive keyphrase arenas. No, that is not enough.
It is coming here and sticking my already world class tarnished reputation on the line with egobots the like of you and the potential onslaught that follows until I grow weary of the spectacle and light up a fatty so I can go to sleep. That's what it takes. That's what it takes to be a practicing Ethical SEO Expert and an effective SEO Ethics Advocate.
After looking through some of your web site I now can see how you obviously have much confusion in your mind.
I'll agree that I do get confused. But in regards to this issue, there is no confusion. ;)
Of those that are relevant, you mistake link strategists as being the same as search engine optimizers.
Hehehe, far from it. They are not the same. Link strategists are a subset of Search Engine Marketing just as Search Engine Optimization is a subset.
It also seems to me that you should have legitimate fears of the growing and perhaps unstoppable movement that is actively advocating search engine marketing ethics.
Not me. I personally don't need to SHOUT my preferences when it comes to developing websites. I'm an ethical business person by default and one phone call with a prospect would alleviate any questions in that area. :)
Especially the real, real loudmouths like me.
Aw, come on, your a kitten compared to some.
Personally, as a search engine optimizer, I actively engage the SEO circles in ethics debates.
Would that be under the same username that you are using here at WebmasterWorld? I'd like to read some of those discussions.
It causes for me to be perpetually in written battle with hoards of frightened search engine marketers, Internet marketing specialists of all kinds, people like you.
Yes, I am truly frightened that there are people like you advocating ethics in this industry. ;)
I take my fight much further though. I make my voice known directly to the search engines themselves, reminding them regularly of the need for them to adamantly enforce the penalties for breaking the rules, the rules that they themselves have established.
Shall we assume that you have direct phone numbers for the "players" at the major search engines and can "git-r-done"?
The rules the search engines have established are common sense rules. They are based on various protocols that were written before many of them were even conceptualized. They are then rewritten for the layman.
It isn't enough just to practice following the search engine guidelines.
I'll agree.
The Internet search engines have created avenues for innumerable new ways of getting people ripped off.
Money talks.
The common misunderstanding about what SEO entails revolves around the gathering of links. Most of these tales originate from the search sources themselves.
Actually, that is not a common misunderstanding. It is fact. Right now, links are the driving force for quick success. I'm a long term strategist so I don't do the link thingy.
It is coming here and sticking my already world class tarnished reputation on the line with egobots the like of you and the potential onslaught that follows until I grow weary of the spectacle and light up a fatty so I can go to sleep.
Hehehe, bad day? Google knows you just lit up a fatty.
That's what it takes. That's what it takes to be a practicing Ethical SEO Expert and an effective SEO Ethics Advocate.
No, what it is going to take is 9,999 more people like you to get the ball rolling and establish an organization that the SEs will endorse and enforce as the guidelines, rules and regulations, code of conduct, etc.
The phrase Ethical SEO is the ultimate weenie cop out, like wrapping oneself in a flag for political effect.
Weenie Cop Out? Snicker, snicker, snicker...
I find it shallow to seize on the Ethical SEO phrase as a key marketing point.
So do I. And, that was the intent of my post. To show just how shallow that phrase is now that it is being TOUTED and SHOUTED by just about anyone who is on that bandwagon.
Tis a shame our industry has no governing body yet. I look forward to the day that all of us can agree to a set of guidelines and code of conduct so we can get this one behind us and we won't need all the Ethical SEO debates. :)
And remember...
Ethics are a particular system of principles and rules concerning duty, whether true or false.
Just because you claim you are ethical, that doesn't mean that your ethics are the same as mine, or his, or even hers, does it?
